Healthy Skepticism Library item: 18201

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Publication type: Journal Article

Wilson P
European drug regulator is criticised over patient representatives' conflicts of interest
BMJ 2010 Jun 21; 340:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/340/jun21_2/c3349

Abstract:

Representatives of patients’ groups sat on the European Medicines Agency’s management board without declaring their ties to the drug industry, an open letter sent to the agency said last week. The agency described the situation as an honest mistake.

The letter, dated 18 June, was sent by the Medicines in Europe Forum and the International Society of Drug Bulletins to the agency’s executive director, Thomas Lönngren.

It was prompted by a report from the Corporate Europe Observatory, a campaign group that aims to expose the power of corporate lobbying in the European Union, which found that two patient group representatives sitting on the management board-Mary Baker of the European Federation of Neurological Associations and Mike O’Donovan of the European Patients Forum-failed to disclose to the agency their organisations’ drug industry funding.

The agency confirmed that it had received the letter and said: “The problem reported by Corporate Europe Observatory arose . . .